Antirefillable bottle.



G. H. KOBHLER & J. E. HORN.

- ANTIREFILLABLE BOTTLE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 31,1911.

Patented May 7, 1912.

if i g 1 i 1 g g FIG.3

ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE H. KOEHLER AND JACOB EUGENE HORN, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA ANTIREFILLABLE BOTTLE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE H. KOEHLER and JAooB EUGENE HORN, citizens of .the United States of America, residing at Pittsburgh, .in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Antirefillable Bottles, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to anti-refillable bottles, and the object ofour invention is the provision of positive and reliable means, in a manner as will be hereinafter set forth, whereby a bottle or similar receptacle cannot be refilled after the original contents have been removed from the bottle.

Our invention aims to eliminate the nefa rious practice of unscrupulous merchants in refilling bottles that once contained a popular brand of liquid with an inferior article and disposing of the same as the original brand.

It is a well known fact that the Government and manufacturing firms lose considerable money by revenue and profits in hav ing bottles refilled by merchants after the government seal or a manufacturers seal has been broken. For instance, inferior whisky is often placed in bottles that once contained a bonded goods, and as a further example, bottles that once contained a patent medicine are refilled to imitate the original goods. In this manner manufacturers lose considerable money and the public are deceived, and in some instances lives are lost by partaking of inferior goods.

The invention in its broadest aspect involves a novel form of valve, which in its normal position permits of the contents of a bottle being poured out, but in its abnormal position it seals the bottle when the bottle is in a vertical position, consequently after the bottle, has been completely emptied, it is impossible to fill the same. The valve is designed whereby it can be made of a material similar to the bottle and not susceptible to any chemical action by the contents of the bottle, and this feature alone adds merit to the invention, insomuch as it is an extremely difficult proposition to manufacture valves for bottles out of glass or a vitreous material, as glass will not lend itself to a formation that is anywise difficult to form in the bottle neck.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 31,

Patented May '7, 1912.

1911. Serial No. 641,563.

Our invention further aims to accomplish the above results by a mechanical construction that is simple, durable, not liable to injury by ordinary use and highly efficient for the purposes for which it .is intended.

The invention will be hereinafter specifi cally described and then claimed, and reference will now be had to the drawing, wherein there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention, but it is to be understood that the structural elements thereof are susceptible to such changes as fall within the scope of the appended claim.

In the drawing :-Figure l is a vertical sectional view of a portion of a bottle in accordance with this invention, Fig. 2 is a similar view of a bottlein an inverted position, Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken on the line IIIIII of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is an elevation of the valve. member detached.

The reference numeral 1 denotes, by the way of an example, a portion of a bottle having a neck 2 provided with a tapering enlargement 3 at the upper end thereof, which reinforces the neck sufficiently to receive a stopper or cork 4. The stopper or cork 4: fits in the vertical bore 5 of the neck 2, and at the base of the bore 5 there are two inwardly projecting oppositely disposed lugs-or teats 6 and 7, the latter being of a greater length than the former for a purpose that will presently appear.

The reference numeral 8 denotes a spherical valve member of a diameter slightly less than that of the bore 5, whereby it can be easily placed in said bore. The valve member 8 has diametrically opposed sides thereof provided with sockets one of greater depth than the other and which are formed by recessing the walls of the member to form shoulders 9 and 10 respectively, adapted to rest upon the lugs 6 and 7. The sockets or recesses have open ends 11, where by the valve member can easily ride out of engagement with the lugs 6 and 7.

At the juncture of the bottle neck 2 with the breast of the bottle'there is an annular inwardly projecting head or enlargement 12 forming an opening of a less diameter than the bore 5, thereby providing a seat 13 for the valve member 8.

After the bottle has been filled, the valve member 8 is placed in position upon the lugs 6 and 7, and with the finger or a suitable instrument it is partially rotated to become unseated whereby it will drop upon the seat 13. The cork 4 is then placed in position thereby sealing the bottle neck.

It is obvious that with the valve member 8 loosely arranged between the lugs and the seat that said member can shift to allow the liquid to flow from the bottle neck, but said member resting upon the seat 13 prevents liquid from being poured into the bottle.

The advantage of making the lugs of unequal length is to make it unusually diflicult to remove the valve out of the bottle, for the reason that in order to do so, it will be necessary not only to have the recesses register with the lugs, but it will be absolutely necessary to register the corresponding recess with the corresponding lug, this pared with the gain that is accomplished by the use of our improved bottle.

hat we claim is In a non-refillable bottle, the combination with a bottle neck provided intermediate the ends thereof with inwardly projecting lugs of unequal length located on opposite sides of the bottle neck, and a valve seat at the inner end of said neck, of a spherical valve having recesses in opposite sides at the point of greatest diameter of the valve, said recesses having an open end whereby the lugs of the bot-tle may enter the recesses and support the valve member, said valve member when turned in the bottle neck on the lugs as an axis adapted to drop onto said seat and said lugs adapted to act as a guard to prevent removal of the valve from the bottle neck or repositioning thereof upon the lugs.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE H. KOEHLER. J. EUGENE HORN.

VVit-nesses H. C. EVERT, MAX H. SROLOVITZ.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

